¨¨¨««**@##                                          ##@**««¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@@@#                                          #@@@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@@@@                                          @@@@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                WINDS ESKER               ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=@## «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ##@=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-==@#                                          #@==-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### THERE  WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### I  COULDN'T  GO TO. REGARDLESS  HOW MUCH ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR POINTED  OUT ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨««=*@@# ON MAPS, I  COULD NOT  THINK  OF IT WHEN #@@*=««¨¨¨
¨¨-««==@@@ ALONE.  I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST THE @@@==««-¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«=@# FORK,  WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN WOULD SURELY #@=«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@@@# TAKE  ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING #@@@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###               KEPT ME AWAY.              ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### WHEN  I FINALLY  GOT  THERE,  AFTER SOME ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«*@ ASSUME,   THE  PLACE  WAS  SURREAL.   AN @*«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨--«=**@@# ESKER,  LIKE A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT  OUT  IN #@@**=«--¨
¨¨¨¨-«**@@ THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH   AND @@**«-¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@@@# ADORNED IN BIRCH, WILLOW,  BRACKEN,  AND #@@@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨--==@@@               BLUEBERRIES.               @@@==--¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨--=**@# WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO #@**=--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«*@@@ NOTICE  THE VIEW TO  EITHER  SIDE. THERE @@@*«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«*@ SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I @*«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE THEM.  FIRST OFF, THEY ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@#### WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE  SHOULD ####@*=«-¨
¨-««=**@@@ STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED  METERS  MORE ON @@@**=««-¨
¨---««=**@ BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT I  COULD @**=««---¨
¨-«=*@@### ALMOST  REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«*@# THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES  THEY #@*«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=@@           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           @@=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«*@##                                          ##@*«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«==*@ THEY WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT  THIS @*==«-¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@###      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### BIPARTITE.  LIKE A PAIR  OF LUNGS CARVED ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO  LESS THAN ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«*@#   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   #@*«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@####      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ####@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨«==*@#     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    #@*==«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=@@## UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING  MANY MILES ##@@=-¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@###                   AWAY.                  ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨--==*@                                          @*==--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«=@@@ I   EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE @@@=«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--«==@@ ABOVE. WAS  THIS WHAT YOU  SAW OPPOSITE, @@==«--¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                REMEMBER.                 ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨«**@##                                          ##@**«¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON  THE VERY TIP  OF ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨««=*@@# THE  ESKER,  I  FOUND THE RUINS OF  SOME #@@*=««¨¨¨
¨-«=*@####    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    ####@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨«***@ MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  @***«¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=====@@ THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS INSERTED @@=====«-¨
¨-«=*@@### INTO  THE  SLOPE LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST THE ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@@@@              GROUND ITSELF.              @@@@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨«««*@@ SITTING THERE,  I COULD  SEE ACROSS  THE @@*«««¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨----«*@ NARROWED  LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I @*«----¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### SAT:  FROM THE  STAIRWELL OF  MY  HOUSE, ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### THROUGH THE  OLD WOODS  BEHIND THE  TILE ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨---=@@      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      @@=---¨¨¨¨
¨-«==*@@## TWENTY THREE AND  THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, ##@@*==«-¨
¨-«=*@@### THROUGH  THE  FANCY  VILLAS,   OVER  THE ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨«««*@# FIELDS,  AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE #@*«««¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@###                   FORK.                  ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨--«*@## AND  THEN THE  STAIRS UP  ON THE  RIDGE. ##@*«--¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS PROBABLY  IT. ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«=@@ HIDDEN IN  A  GROVE,  THERE  WERE STAIRS @@=«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@@@# MUCH LIKE THE ONES  I CURRENTLY  SAT ON, #@@@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨«***@@ OLD  AND WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD  YOU  UP @@***«¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@@@@ ONTO THE  ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD @@@@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«*@@ I INSTED OPTED  TO WALK THE PATH AT  ITS @@*«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@### FOOT, I'M  SURE  MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«==**@@# «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« #@@**==«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨--=@@                                          @@=--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨--«****@ ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE   IN @****«--¨¨
¨-«=*@@### BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD THEY  EVEN SEE ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@### ME?  IF I  SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY  TURN TO ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ###@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=@#                                          #@=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@###                                          ###@@*=«-¨
¨-«=*@@@@#                                          #@@@@*=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«*@                                          @*«-¨¨¨¨¨¨